Manchester City could spend more than £160million to fix Pep Guardiola's glaring mistake in January – with four deals in the pipeline.
The reigning Premier League champions have struggled this season and are already twelve points behind current leaders Liverpool. This form comes after a summer period in which they were hardly active.
They have made just two summer signings – the first was £21 million winger Savinho from fellow City Group club Troyes. Former club captain Ilkay Gundogan also returned after leaving Barcelona after just a solitary season.
But the sale of Julian Alvarez to Atletico Madrid – as well as Rodri's long-term knee injury – has wreaked havoc at the Etihad. And Pep Guardiola even hinted at the time that a lack of signings could potentially come back and bite City, something he has been proven right about.
Speaking in the summer, he said: “I am happy with the squad. We did not expect Julian to leave, although he had had discussions with other clubs and his agent a long time ago, so it could happen and in the end it happened. ” What happened happened. If we have a lot of injuries it becomes a problem.
He added: “Maybe it's a mistake, I don't know, but I don't like to leave players without playing for a long time. When everyone is involved and has a chance to play, the teams' performance always better.”
“I know the group and how serious and professional they are and their commitment in every match. We are pretty sure it is better to wait.”
And City are now set to splash the cash after their quiet summer. They have already completed a deal to sign Lens defender Abdukodir for £33.5 million and he will be joined by Palmeiras centre-back Vitor Reis, who will join the Etihad Stadium for £29.5 million.
City will also strengthen their attack with the signing of Eintracht Frankfurt sensation Omar Marmoush. A verbal agreement has been reached with the German side and action should be finalized in the coming days.
Guardiola's side are unlikely to stop there. They have also been linked with a move for Juventus defender Andrea Cambiaso, who is valued at around £50 million by the Italian giants, although that could be one before the summer.
Combined with the impending arrival of Argentine wonderkid Claudio Echeverri from River Plate and the successful new signing of Erling Haaland, City will enter the second half of the season with a fresh outlook. And Guardiola may be thinking better late than never to fix his glaring error.
Comments